Apparatus for coking coal



July zo, 1926.

H. H. CULMER l APPARATUS FOR COKING COAL- Filer? Jan.' 22, 1920 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 July zo, 11926. 1,593,209

. H. H. CULMER APPARATUS FOR COKING COAL Filed Jan, 22, 1920 .4 sheets-sheet@ July 20 1926.

H. H. CULMER APPARATUS FOR COKING COAL Filed Jan. 22, 1920 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Patented `i'uly 2Q, 15926.

UNER@ S'EAIES PATENT F F i C E .APPARATUS .FOR COKING- COAL.

Application led January 22, 1920. 'Serial No. '353,264.

My invention relates to improvements in apparatus tor @cking coal, and refers more particularly to an 'apparatus in which the coal in batches is continuously conveyed through lthe coking oven without breaking the bond of the coke.

Among its salient objects are to provi-de apparatus in which the coal is continuously ted Yinto a colring oven and Aremoved thereromwithout breaking the bond of the 'product; to provide 'apparatus in which the coal is ted through the oven in small quantities which permits of a more uniform heating and produces a coke product having a very uniform texture; hto provide apparatus which is economical in the amount of heat required and one which does away 'with "the Vloading and `unloading of the individual coke ovens.

In the drawings:

' Figs. 1 and 12L show a diagrammatic view of the coking apparatus. 1

Fig. 2 is a sectional end view ot the interior of the coking oven.

F ig. 3 is a detail ot the coal car showing means of transporting same through 'the oven.

Fig. t .is a detail plan view vot the driving Isheave.

Fig. '5 is a side elevation of parts shown in Fig. 4. v

This coking process 'consists in general in loading linely ground coal at charging station 1 into a number ot vcars `2, which travel upon a track 3, being lcarried along by uprights l clamped to an endless steel cable 5.

rlhe uprights i are fitted 'with small spool wheels 6, which run upon 1a track 7 laid below the track 3. These uprights 'are 'clamped .to the cable 5 at intervals by any 'suitable means and are adapted .to contact the lugs S in order to track.

The coal cars being carried :along by the uprights 4 proceed down an incline into a liquid basin 9, which together with the insulating hood 10 serves as a seal for the coking oven 11. This insulated hood has an aperture 12 beneath the surface of the liquid contained in the basin 9, which Ais. .large lenough for the coal car to Ipass under fit. Atter passing through this aperture., the coal push the coal car 2 along its tor the vdistilled *vapors and gases. The Acoal cars pass't-hrough an aperture 12a similar to aperture 12 in the insulated hood 10; The cars, after emerging 'from this basin are ready to be emptied and to facilitate this,

the track 3 diverts'trom the Icourse 'of the endilessdriving cable 5. `Alfter diverting kthe cars of coke, the driving lcable proceeds around a grooved lsheav'e 13, which is notched vat 14 to yaccommodate the vertical uprights, which push the cars. The cable then proceeds back over a Isimilar course through another loven to 'the charging stand l, where it passes around an idler 'sheave VV(not shown), :identi- -c'al to Ithatjust explained. I Ado not `wish to limit myself '.to this particular elongated 'torni oit oven as it may be more economical yto make the oven in amore compact 'form as `far Yas heating is concerned.

To return now to the details hnot lthe coal 'or coke cars, it will be appreciated that they must be built to withstand `a very lhigh 'tempera'ture and must be specially constructed oi vrefractory materials. The body lot the car yconsisting of two hinged upright sides 15 and 'end pieces 16 is constructed of carborund-um andi's held'together by .cast iron tittinjgs. The truck ot the car 17 is also ot cast iron 'and is mounted upon bearing-s 18, which are fluid-tight l.and packed with graphite. The purpose ofthe graphite packing is to `furnish a 'lubricant tor the shaft 1.9 during `its transit through 'the oven, as oil or similar 'substance would `net withstand the high degree ot heat to which the bearings are subjected. To the` shafts 19 are 'fixed the flanged wheels "20.

The heat for the ovens is `supplied by burners 21, ycontrolled by valves 21a, which .are mounted between the walls ot the two Cil arched tunnel ways and are supplied with fuel through supply pipe 22, controlled by valves 22, and with air through ducts 23, which is preheated by passing yover the top of the oven. These chiots are regulated by dampers 24. Pilot lights 25 are situated close to the top of the burners and are kept lit at all times, both to facilitate the lighting of the burner and to relight a burner which has been extinguished. rlhese burners are situated at frequent intervals along and between the oven chambers or tunnel ways at places which are most advantageous to the economical heating. The heating gases pass up through the ducts 26 in the lower part of which arev arranged silica clay retortbricks or bricks of similar material which will withstand a very high temperature. These bricks are arranged at 27 in staggered relation, permitting the gases to pass therethrough, and at the same time, absorbing a great part of their heat. The gases then pass over the arch of the oven in the direction shown by the arrows and are expelled through fines 28. The spent gases from the iiues are collected lin a flue ruiming longitudinally of the oven and pass up through the stack 29. The incoming fresh air which is supplied to the burners through the ducts 23 enters above the dampers A30. The inner walls 31 of the ovens are constructed of brick which will withstand a very high temperature such as brick made of silica, carborundum and clay, or the common type yof silica clay retort brick. The outer two shell walls are constructed of silica brick or a iirebrick that will withstand high temperature. An insulating substance shown at 34 may be putover the two arches to further economize the heat generated.

The power used in driving y the cars through the oven is transmitted to the cable 5 by means of the drive sheave 13, which is iixedly mounted upon a vertical shaft 35. To this shaft is also fixed a gear 36 which meshes with a worm 37 mounted upon the horizontal shaft 38. rThis horizontal shaft is mounted in suitable bearings 39. To this shaft is also mounted a gear 40 which meshes with a pinion 41 mounted on a shaft 42. The shaft 42 is mounted in bearings 43 and is directly connected to any suitable source of power such as anengine or motor. An endless cable 5 passes around the driving sheave 13 at one end of the system and an idler sheave (not shown) at the opposite end of the` furnace. The cable is vdriven at a very slow speed in order that the coal will be completelyv coked in its travel through the oven.

At either end of the oven, in the basins 9 and 9, is contained a liquid seal which may be either oil tar or water. The two basins are connected by atrough running the length of the oven and in which is set the tracks 7 upon which the small spool rollers 6 ride7 which carry the uprights 4. rThe greater part of these uprights which are attached to the cable 5 are immersed in the liquid throughout their travel through the oven.

rhis liquid, besides serving as a seal for the gases in the oven, provides a cooling agent for the cable and the journals of the lower spool'G. A. tar tank 44 with a drawofl pipe 45 from the interior of the oven serves as a means for collecting the tars or other by-products from the coal. The tar from the tank may be drawn o through an outlet pipe 46.

This process of coking the coal is continuous in that the coal is loaded into cars at a loading station the cars then being grasped by uprights arranged at intervals on the cable, which are attached to an endless cable and are drawn through the coking oven, the heat in which ranges from 750 to 1800O F. The cable drawing the cars moves very slowly, giving ample time for the coke within the cars to be completely treated by the time it emerges from the opposite end of the oven. Before the cable passes around the sheave, which returns the cable back into the oven, the car with the coke therein is diverted onto a track extension shown at 47`in Fig. 4. The coke may then be dumped from the ears which are then ready to be returned to be again sent with a fresh charge of coal through the oven. At this point a car of fresh coal may be inserted between the uprights to be taken back through the oven. In this way, the cable carries a coking charge in both directions through the oven.

I claim as my invention:

1. In an apparatus for coking coal, the combination with an oven, a liquid seal at the entrance and exit of said oven, means for moving bulk charges of coal through said oven including engaging elements adapted to engage a movable container of coal and cause said container to travel through the oven, means at the exit of the oven for diverting said container to a point where the coke is discharged.

2. In an apparatus for coking coal, the combination with a coking oven having a liquid seal at either end, of means for heating said oven, means for conveying coal containers carrying the coal through the coking oven including means adapted to positively engage the containers and cause them to be moved through the oven.

3. An apparatus for coking coal, comprising an elongated oven, means for heating the same to a coking temperature, a liquid seal at the entrance to said oven, a liquid seal at the exit thereof, an endless conveyor passing through said oven, means carried by said conveyor for engaging a container and for slowly moving said container through llO the coking oven, and means for diverting said Container after passage through the oven, to a point of discharge.

4. In an apparatus for coking coal, the

5 Combination With a coking oven having a liquid seal at either end, of means for heating the oven, means for conveying coal containers carrying the coal through the coking oven, including means adapted to positively engage the containers and causel them to be moved through the oven, and means for collecting the ley-products.

HARRY H. CULMER. 

